58 of the 288 Ryanair flights scheduled to depart or arrive at Charleroi Airport today and tomorrow are cancelled. The data comes from the Brussels South Charleroi Airport website. Flights are cancelled due to strike action by Ryanair pilots based in Belgium. Passengers who see that their flights cancelled are requested not to come to the airport.
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Belgian Ryanair pilots on strike: nearly 60 flights cancelled at Charleroi
Colin Clapson
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It is the fourth time in only two months that Ryanair pilots based at Charleroi Brussels South Airport take strike action for two consecutive days. The date was not chosen at random, as a general shareholders' meeting at the Irish low-cost airlineis scheduled for today.
The pilots speak of "blackmail" by the airline's management. They claim management does not want to start negotiations on a new collective agreement on rest times until the judicial complaints filed by some pilots are withdrawn. That is impossible, says CNE trade unionist Didier Lebbe, as investigations are already under way.
The pilots are demanding that Ryanair "respect Belgian law, make overdue payments and start negotiations without setting conditions". Disagreement over wages - following pay cuts during the pandemic - is also part of the conflict.
According to Lebbe, there have been some contacts with Ryanair since the first strike, but Ryanair refuses to negotiate until the Belgium-based pilots who went to court withdraw their complaints.
As with previous strikes, only Charleroi Airport will be affected. Ryanair also operates at Zaventem airport, but only flies to this destination using pilots working from foreign airports.